OceanHub Africa/Coca-Cola Foundation Call for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity for Pan-Africans (Up to $120,000 Grant)

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OceanHub Africa and The Coca-Cola Foundation have launched a Pan-African Call for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity. This programme seeks science-driven solutions that can transform how plastic waste is reduced, recycled, reused, or repurposed across African coastal and urban environments.

With up to $120,000 in catalytic funding and hands-on venture building support, this is a prime opportunity for innovators ready to turn research or early concepts into market-ready impact ventures.

Plastic pollution remains a pressing environmental challenge across Africa, affecting oceans, cities, wildlife, and communities. Corporate partners like The Coca-Cola Foundation are investing in circular systems and innovation to support sustainable waste solutions. This call combines OceanHub Africa’s venture-building expertise with Coca-Cola’s sustainability resources to help African innovators test and commercialise circularity solutions.

Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity Program Objectives

Bridge the Gap: Use our specialised venture building studio to transition early-stage, science-driven concepts into market-ready, scalable businesses.
Fund Innovation: Provide catalytic financial support (up to $120,000) to develop and enable the initial scaling of bold ideas.
Enhance Capacity: Offer technical mentorship and business support to ensure long-term commercial viability.
Build Market Access: Facilitate vital connections between African innovators and corporate partners, market entry networks, and the broader impact-investment ecosystem.

Benefits

Through this program, you will receive hands-on support to build, test, and validate a robust business case around your research-based innovation. We provide the structural framework needed to turn technical excellence into a scalable, high-impact venture.

From Lab to Market: We bridge the gap between scientific validation and commercial application, ensuring your research is equipped with a sustainable revenue model.
Testing & Validation: Move beyond theory with structured support to pilot your solution and gather real-world data in African coastal and urban environments.
Structured Venture Development: Gain access to specialised mentorship that focuses on financial modelling, operational strategy, and market-entry mechanics tailored for circularity.
Network Access: We help you articulate your value proposition to corporate partners and investors, turning your bold idea into a bankable solution for Africa’s plastic crisis.
Coaching: You will receive one-on-one guidance from industry experts.
Development Funding: We provide tiered financial support to de-risk each stage of your idea’s growth, offering a pathway to commercialisation through three distinct grant phases:
- Grant 1 (CAPEX): Up to $20,000 USD per venture to cover essential capital expenditures and infrastructure needed to get your idea off the ground, in addition to the support offered through our venture studio.
- Grant 2 (Ops & Pilot): Up to $20,000 USD for 1 to 2 high-performing ventures to fund operational costs and real-world piloting of your business case.
- Grant 3 (Commercialization): A substantial $80,000 USD repayable grant for 1 of the 2 eligible ventures ready to scale their validated solution into the commercial market.

Eligibility Criteria for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity Program

The programme is open to innovators across Africa with science-based ideas addressing plastic waste challenges. Eligibility includes:

Individuals or teams with bold, science-driven ideas related to plastic circularity.
Projects that address plastic waste reduction, recycling, reuse, or circular economy models in African coastal or urban settings.
Applicants must be able to submit a video pitch (max. 5 minutes) alongside other application materials.

This call welcomes both researchers and early-stage ventures aiming to refine, pilot, or scale impactful solutions.

Expected Outcomes

The initiative is built on achieving tangible, measurable results for both people and the planet:

Environmental Impact: A collective target of recycling and diverting 490 tons of plastic waste from African oceans and landfills.
Social Impact: The creation of over 150 sustainable livelihoods within coastal and urban communities, fostering economic inclusion.
Economic Impact: The establishment of new, profitable business models that prove the commercial value of circularity in Africa.
Scalability: A blueprint for pan-African solutions that can be replicated in different regions to combat the global plastic crisis.